goatsucker (redirected from goatsuckers)

goat·suck·er  (gtskr)

n.

Any of various chiefly nocturnal, insectivorous birds of the family Caprimulgidae, which includes the nighthawk and the whippoorwill.

---

[Translation of Greek aigothlas : aigo-, goat + -thlas, sucker (from the belief that the bird sucked milk from goats).]

---

goatsucker [ˈgəʊtˌsʌkə]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) the US and Canadian name for nightjar

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

goatsucker - mainly crepuscular or nocturnal nonpasserine birds with mottled greyish-brown plumage and large eyes; feed on insects caprimulgid, nightjar caprimulgiform bird - long-winged nonpasserine birds Caprimulgidae, family Caprimulgidae - goatsuckers Caprimulgus europaeus, European goatsucker, European nightjar - Old World goatsucker Caprimulgus carolinensis, chuck-will's-widow - large whippoorwill-like bird of the southern United States Caprimulgus vociferus, whippoorwill - American nocturnal goatsucker with grey-and-white plumage bullbat, mosquito hawk, nighthawk - mainly nocturnal North American goatsucker Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, poorwill - goatsucker of western North America